Spring 2020

Dear Members of the Class of 2004,
 
Like colleges all over the country (and the world), Luther College has just wrapped up a spring semester like no other. Our students participated in remote learning, connecting with their professors and classmates online and on Sunday, May 24, we celebrated the Class of 2020 with a virtual commencement . It certainly wasn't the spring semester we imagined, but the Luther community responded with resiliency and creativity.
 
Many of us are making adjustments, sometimes daily or even hourly, to these uncertain times but we wanted to be sure to connect with you and to send you Rachel's letter. We think you'll enjoy reading what she has written to your class.
 
Especially now, gifts to the Luther Fund can make a big difference in supporting students as they navigate all that's ahead. If you can ,   I hope you will consider making a gift today.

We hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy during these times. For updated information about Luther's response to the pandemic, visit luther.edu.

Many thanks for your steadfast love and support.
 
Mariah Bringer Smith ‘95
Director of Development, Current Gifts
Dear Fellow Members of the Class of 2004,
 
These days I find myself remembering what it was like to live at Luther College on September 11, 2001. As you may recall, it was a chaotic day, made worse by a bomb threat called in to the Help Desk. After a morning mired in grief and confusion, we were suddenly evacuated from campus, removed from all buildings and dorms until the situation could be resolved. Most of us took refuge in town or at the homes of local families. For some it may have been a moment for peace, a relief to be excused from classes. But for many, I’m sure it made for a deeply anxious afternoon.
 
Fortunately, our exile from campus lasted only a few hours. We returned to our dorms by supper and moved on, managing the emotional fallout of our national tragedy as a community. We were lucky compared to the hundreds of students, as well as staff and faculty, who currently still live in exile from Luther due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To me, it underscores how much our shared learning experiences (both past and present) are rooted and sustained by having a sense of place – a feeling of home!
 
While we’re grateful that Luther has already announced plans to re-open the campus for the 2020-2021 Academic Year on a modified schedule, we’re wary of the long-term existential threat this pandemic (and the subsequent economic fallout) could pose against our beloved alma mater. In a world that was already becoming so virtual, in the coming years, is it fair to predict that more and more students will elect to stay home and attend college online? Will our collective modes of isolation evolve into a new normal that inherently devalues having the “small liberal arts college” experience?
 
We should take pride in everything Luther College, under the leadership of President Jenifer K. Ward and the Board of Regents, has done to respond and adapt to the COVID-19 crisis! But let’s also not turn a blind eye to the choppy financial waters our college will doubtlessly navigate in the months and years to come. As alumni, but especially as standard-bearers for the lasting and profound impact this place of higher learning has on people’s lives, it is up to us to do everything we can to show support.
 
While it feels unseemly to ask you to give at a time when financial hardship is so pervasive, we hope that you will consider making a gift to the Luther Fund . Regardless of the amount, our contributions help to sustain this beloved place for all who yearn to return to it someday.
 
From our family to yours, Dave and I hope for you all the very best as we endure these difficult times. We wish you God’s blessings and hope you have a fun, happy and HEALTHY summer!
 
Warmly,
Rachel Miller-Bleich

2004 Class Agents:

Rachel Miller Bleich and Dave Bleich
5025 7th Road S, Apt. 202
Arlington, VA 22204-2524
703-399-4685 (D); 240-353-0957 (R)

CLASS NOTES
 
Kim Christensen is a licensed acupuncturist, health and wellness coach, and co-owner of Constellation Acupuncture and Healing Arts in Minneapolis. She is also enrolled in a doctor of acupuncture and oriental medicine program through the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. In addition to providing care to patients in her own clinic, Kim also provides clinical supervision for Chinese medicine students and frequently lectures on small business ownership at Northwestern Health Sciences University.
 
David Fleener is pastor at Shalom Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Minn.
 
Lisa Franek is associate principal at Korn Ferry in Madrid, Spain.
 
Mandy Henderson and David Rowley ’05 live in Lafayette, Colo., Mandy is a mental health practitioner at the Open Door Autism Project. David is head of experience at Iterate.ai in Boulder.
 
Kjerstee (Saarloos) Miller is accounts and events coordinator at Type A Events in Minnetonka, Minn.
 
Scott Rheinschmidt is vice president of finance at GreatAmerica Financial Services Corporation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
 
Kate (Miller) Stobbe of Livermore, Calif., is a corporate social responsibility expert for the United Way Worldwide Digital Services team and sales professional for Philanthropy Cloud, a new employee engagement platform
 
Carissa Thomas completed a fellowship in head and neck surgical oncology and microvascular reconstruction at the University of Toronto. She is assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
 
Cindy (Tudor) Verdick is training and benefits coordinator at Hiawatha Homes in Rochester, Minn.
 
 
MARRIAGES
 
LAUREN CHRISTEL and Peter Than, Oct. 26, 2018
 
JENNY REAGAN and Juan Mena, July 30, 2019

 
BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS
 
Elsa Maria Isabella, in October 201, child of LINDSAY (BUCK) and Christoph Ledl
 
Abigail Elizabeth, in August 2018, child of Elizabeth and BRADLEY CARLTON
 
Vivian, in March 2019, child of CHRISTA (ANDERSON) and Adam Danielson
 
Abigail, in May 2019, child of Sarah and DAVID FLEENER 
 
Ivy Simone, in June 2019, child of AMBER DOLPHIN and Steve Moechnig
 
Samuel, in August 2019, child of TIFFANY (JONES) and MATT WOGSLAND '97

 
OBITUARY
 
Lance Gustav Johnson of Burlington, Iowa, died Nov. 24, 2019, age 37.